Food Day is a nationwide celebration and a movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. Food Day 2012 brings together many people—parents, teachers, and students; health professionals, community organizers, and local officials; chefs, school lunch providers, and eaters—committed to creating healthier, more affordable and sustainable food systems.
Food Day's national priorities address overarching concerns within the food system and provide common ground for building the food movement. Its goals are to:
Promote safer, healthier diets
Support sustainable and organic farms
Reduce hunger
Reform factory farms to protect the environment and animals
Support fair working conditions for food and farm workers
Learn more about the national food day priorities and what you can do at www.foodday.org
Through various local initiatives, King County works on many of the national Food Day priorities all year long, including expanding access to healthy food and curbing access to junk-food. King County also provides individual, group and institutional level nutrition education to teach about how to choose and prepare healthy foods. Our very own Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer of Public Health - Seattle & King County, and City of Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn are members of the national advisory board for Food Day.
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FOOD DAY 2012 and sugary drinks
King County is focusing on the health effects of sugary beverages on health. Did you know that 31% of King County high school students - or 26,000 youth - drink soda daily?
What are sugary drinks? Sugary drinks are beverages with added sugars, such as regular sodas (or "pop"), energy drinks, sports drinks, sweetened fruit drinks, and sweetened coffees and teas. On average, a 20-ounce bottle of regular soda has more than 16 teaspoons of sugar and 240 calories-- double the total amount of added sugar allowed for an entire day based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Sugary drinks are the largest single source of calories in the U.S. diet and account for almost half of all added sugars that Americans consume. Reducing sugary drink consumption is a key strategy for improving health.
Learn more about sugary drinks and obesity in King County
